2011-07-16

Sony HX9V - useful things to have

reminds me a bit of a folding magnifying glass I once had...
I might be tempted to try something like that in combination with my SM-mirror

So you really miss an optical viewfinder with your Sony HX9V?

Let me help you out here. How about a gadget for $35 what does the trick?

"The ClearViewer is a folding high-diopter lens which lets you view and focus on the LCD screen with your eye right up to the lens, less than 2 inches away from the LCD. You can use the LCD screen almost as you would an electronic viewfinder, and can see fine detail very clearly, in all sorts of lighting."
Head over to clearviewer.com for more info.

JohnWho said...

OK then - I ordered the ClearViewer for my HX9V and would like to offer a "mini" review:
First, it works exactly as advertised. I attached it and went outside in very bright, direct sunlight. Even with the screen brightness on High, it was still very hard to frame an image when I used the camera where the sun was at its worst on the screen. Then I flipped up the ClearViewer and using it the screen image was very bright and clear - not quite as good as an integrated optical viewfinder, but arguably only a slight step down. In fact, at the highest zoom, the camera is easily useable as a "pocket" telescope, especially with the anti-shake feature. I'm sure that at certain angles a little additional shading on the screen would be helpful, but in my quick test I didn't find it necessary.

As an added bonus, holding the camera with your elbows in and the camera up to your eye, I believe you impart less shake to it and you hold it steadier.
When not using the ClearViewer, you can leave it attached and folded down so it extends down from the camera. In this manner you now have a place for your left hand to hold the camera instead of holding the top upper left where the pop up flash resides. Just be careful not to touch the glass lens on the ClearViewer. (Hmm...wonder if a small felt pouch would be available for just the lens?)

I see no reason why this would not be possible with the tripod socket mounted version on any camera.
In short, this is the next best thing to actually having an optical viewfinder - and maybe even better since it shows exactly what is on the screen which should also be exactly what will be on you image.
It does what it says it will do, and it does it very well.
Thanks John

When we tried shooting from the backseat of the motorcycle with the Sony HX1 the results were not usable. Too much fast movement made you motion sick to watch. Then Sony came out with the HX5 and the 10 times more stabilized active mode. These ride videos were mostly a joy to watch.

But how to shoot if you are alone?
Then a Chest Mount Harness comes in handy.
As usual, there are several solutions, read the user reviews to find out for any weaknesses.
Here is a DIY Camera Chest Mount video

On a bicycle with a Sony HX9V in a chest harness

Want to go swimming with your HX9V?
Put it in a bag, put it in a bag
like this one here for $25

To clarify about the bags, there are different qualities out there and it is always a good thing to read some user reviews to see if there is a problem with the bag, like the Delkin Jellyfish, or not. It is also a good idea to have a little pouch with desiccants (highly absorbent material) inside the bag to catch any moisture what tries to sneak in.

Protects against rain, sand and dust great for the beach, playgrounds or amusement parks (splash zones and rides).
Take pictures underwater while snorkeling. For diving you will need to shop for a marine case as we discussed earlier here. Look for something like the Ikelite Underwater Camera Housing.

And if you need to get a grip for video like I showed you on my HX5 blog, there are now several people who offer you something like that like this guy here for just $18 straight from Oregon.

* transfer grip from camera body to the Super Grip camera handle
* steady you hand, clarity of the picture quality is greatly improved
* reduce the chances your camera will get dropped in the dirt
* quick to attach and remove, just a simple thread-on action
* the anti-slip rubber grip is easy to hold, even when wet

Features:
* an attractive grip made of quality products, unmatched by others
* the lanyard will provide safety in the most challenging situations
* completely water-proof and submersible in fresh or saltwater
* includes a stainless steel screw, won't rust or deteriorate
* lightweight handle at the approximate weight of 4oz

17 comments:

Forget this kind of waterproofed bag for this kind if usage. It is okay to put in the ID card, bank cards etc and a camera which is in a 2nd bag. For this bag system it happens sometimes that some drops of water are in the bag. Only badf you have your camera in without a 2nd protection

well Anonymous Jo, bags come in different quality and I have seen some of them doing a pretty good job for snorkeling or shooting in bad weather. I sure would not dive with them. And regarding the never ending blurry grass discussion: I don´t care for things in the background and a bit of greenery what ever kind in the background or tiny in the foreground is just like an extra in a movie, but nothing I care about. What I care about is the whole picture and how good the main object comes out. If I care for grass, I take a macro and there the HX9V does a fine job. As for the SX220, go for it. I made my observations and comparisons in the largest posting of this blog.

Hi Everyone,"For diving you will need to shop for a marine case as we discussed earlier here. Look for something like the Ikelite Underwater Camera Housing."Please note that as a general rule of thumb, one camera model ==> one specific marine case.And YES: for diving, nothing replaces a real marine case. As a diver, I'd really hesitate putting a 300€ or so machine on this kind of cheap plastic bag to go beyond 5 meters...And unfortunately the marine case pointed by Joe's link will NOT fit HX9V model.You can see directly at IKELITE site: www.ikelite.com/web_pages/camsonchart.html"DSC-HX9V: Under consideration for a housing in the future. No information available"So IKELITE people don't know yet if ever such a marine case will exist. And it seems that Sony is not offering it either.Best regards, Jorge

I'm looking for an underwater bag for my camera. Have you personally used the Gomadic clean and dry that you mentioned? If so, how was it? Is it trustworthy? If not, do you know of any other bag brands? I'm only going to be taking it in the pool, so I don't need a marine case. Thank you! I found your blog today, and favorited it. I had no idea about the 57x zoom!

OK then - I ordered the ClearViewer for my HX9V and would like to offer a "mini" review:First, it works exactly as advertised. I attached it and went outside in very bright, direct sunlight. Even with the screen brightness on High, it was still very hard to frame an image when I used the camera where the sun was at its worst on the screen. Then I flipped up the ClearViewer and using it the screen image was very bright and clear - not quite as good as an integrated optical viewfinder, but arguably only a slight step down. In fact, at the highest zoom, the camera is easily useable as a "pocket" telescope, especially with the anti-shake feature. I'm sure that at certain angles a little additional shading on the screen would be helpful, but in my quick test I didn't find it necessary. As an added bonus, holding the camera with your elbows in and the camera up to your eye, I believe you impart less shake to it and you hold it steadier. When not using the ClearViewer, you can leave it attached and folded down so it extends down from the camera. In this manner you now have a place for your left hand to hold the camera instead of holding the top upper left where the pop up flash resides. Just be careful not to touch the glass lens on the ClearViewer. (Hmm...wonder if a small felt pouch would be available for just the lens?) I see no reason why this would not be possible with the tripod socket mounted version on any camera.In short, this is the next best thing to actually having an optical viewfinder - and maybe even better since it shows exactly what is on the screen which should also be exactly what will be on you image.It does what it says it will do, and it does it very well.

I wear glasses/sunglasses, but have reasonable vision without my glasses, so here's my take on your first question - without glasses your eye will be closer to the ClearViewer and you will be able to see the edges and corners of the screen (with the "Premium" lens). With the "Standard" lens it seems you may not. When I'm wearing my glasses/sunglasses my eye is further away from the lens and I'm only able to see the edges/corners of the screen my moving my eye around the lens slightly.

Distance inside from lens to screen is about 2.25 inches.

I tested it some more in the bright Florida sun today and am able to keep my screen panel brightness at 3 (medium) and still see the screen with the ClearViewer very well. Without it, I have to move the panel brightness up to 5 (bright) and even then, as with most of these screens, it is a bit difficult to see the objects on the screen.

I'm not in possession of a second camera right now, so I can't get the images you request.

However, on the Clearview website here:http://clearviewer.com/socket.htmland on the other pages of the website, you'll see a good sample of images showing the Clearviewer mounted on a similar sized camera (at least it looks about the same size to me).

When mounted, from the screen to the furthest back part of the hinge is about 2.5 inches though.

2011 the year Nippon awoke Godzilla

Last Millennium Nippon (Japan) was for me the land of robots, monsters like Godzilla and made in Japan what replaced the quality seal made in Germany.

Who would have ever imagined the there came a day when Nippon would awake Godzilla for real.

If you might recall, one of Godzilla´s attributes was his Atomic Breath what now covers parts of this planet.

When in 2010 the Gulf Oil disaster happened I tried to figure out if it could impact Europe directly. So I started a blog to collect my findings. You still can find that blog in my HX5 blog link list if you care.

With Fukushima not well covered in the mainstream and a measurable fallout already on my islands I like to share with you important facts what will in the long run impact your life.

Be aware that there are people around who think the story of Radioactive Man is real and that radiation can be good for you, there is also the counter part who thinks we are all doomed and embellish the other way. As usual the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Also I have to tell you how proud I am to be in the European Union who takes so good care of their members like instantly rising, when Japan asked, the allowed radioactive dosis for food substantially and the German speaking states censor now The Simpsons when they try to raise awareness make fun how negligent people are around nuclear power.

People over Japan and also the USA measuring and reporting actual radiation data via safecast.org.

Over 35 years old still up to date:
KRAFTWERK - RADIO-ACTIVITYchange Hiroshima to Fukushima

On a personal note, you know the most bleeped out word on American television is fuck as South Park so nicely demonstrated with the Human CentiPad episode. It is used if something is not right. In Germany scheisse (shit) has the same function. For me FUK (from FUKushima) is starting to replace the old swear words for something that is terrible wrong but I can not do anything about it.

2012-03-11
Fukushima is constantly poisoning Japan and the rest of the whole planet now for over one year in the name of profit and total moronic ignorance and incompetence.